There Has Been Frustration — Donald Duke Speaks On Nigeria’s Troubled Political System

The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate, Donald Duke, has expressed concern over what he described as persistent frustration in Nigeria’s political system since the return to democratic rule, lamenting that the country has yet to overcome its leadership deficit.

Duke, a former Governor of Cross River State, made the remarks while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday. He explained that his decision to contest the 2027 presidential election was driven by a desire to address the country’s numerous challenges and provide Nigerians with what he described as a new lease of life.

According to Bush Radio Academy, Duke argued that successive administrations since 1979 had introduced various political visions but failed to provide the leadership required to achieve meaningful political fulfilment and sustained economic transformation.

The PRP candidate said Nigeria could have achieved significantly more since the restoration of democracy if the country had been led by individuals with the necessary leadership vision.

“There has been frustration in the political system since the return to democracy. In reality, we could have done better than what we have if we had the right leadership,” Duke said.

He noted that although Nigeria had witnessed successive democratic governments, none had, in his assessment, provided the kind of leadership vision needed to transform the country.

Duke said his presidential ambition was aimed at filling that leadership gap and changing the direction of the nation by providing policies capable of promoting development and economic growth.

He also urged politicians to focus less on personal attacks and political mudslinging, stressing that political parties and candidates should instead tell Nigerians what they intend to accomplish if given the opportunity to govern.

“We in the political system do not need mudslinging but to tell Nigerians what we can do for the country,” he added.

Speaking on the prospects of the opposition in the 2027 presidential election, Duke maintained that the opposition could defeat the incumbent administration if the various parties were willing to unite and agree on a candidate capable of leading a common political front.

He warned that failure to establish such a united opposition could make it easier for President Bola Tinubu’s administration to secure victory in the 2027 election.

Duke further argued that the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) could still be defeated despite its strong political presence across the country if opposition parties put aside their differences, unite behind a common objective and effectively mobilise voters.

The former Cross River State governor therefore called for greater cooperation among opposition forces, maintaining that a united political movement would provide a stronger challenge to the ruling party in the forthcoming presidential contest.